Been a baseball fan and player my whole life, played dynasty for 10 years. Co-host on the Dynasty Baseball Pickups podcast since mid-season 2023 and joined Prospects Live at the start of 2024.
Hello and welcome to the Dynasty Baseball Pickups written series! In this week's article, you get a little bonus content because I found five players I thought needed a recommendation, but there’s also a player I needed to mention as a drop candidate because it’s looking like I was wrong about an FYPD bat from last year's class. It’s a good reminder of how quickly things can change in dynasty baseball and how you have to be willing to admit a mistake and move on when it’s time. On the fun side of things, we’ve got a couple of arms from last year's class generating plenty of buzz, a bat who looks to be taking a step forward with his new organization, another who’s lifting the ball like never before, and one who is deserving of a lot more attention than he’s been getting. Now let’s get into it.
*Note: all stats current through Friday, April 18/25
Clarke was drafted by the Sox in the fifth round of the 2024 MLB draft and signed for $400,000, but the early returns in his pro debut are making that look like a bargain. He’s got a big fastball that topped out at 99 mph early on with two distinct breaking balls, one in the mid to upper 80s with a ton of glove side break and a low 80s offering with more depth to it, as well as a changeup that reportedly flashes some potential but isn’t an offering he has needed to use much to this point. With stuff like that and what appears to be at least average command, it’s not difficult to see why he’s been dominating Single-A hitters. Still, Clarke isn’t the typical college pitcher dominating the low levels - his path to pro ball is a little more unique. He was a well-regarded arm out of the prep ranks in 2019. Still, after needing Tommy John surgery, he decided to go to college, ending up at Alabama but never pitching for the program as he recovered from elbow surgery. He then transferred to a junior college and, after a couple more years, was prepared to head to South Carolina when the Red Sox picked him and signed him away from that commitment.
Final Thoughts
Clarke is an exciting profile and path to pro ball, but he has quickly been catching a lot of attention because of the way he’s dominating Single-A hitters through two starts. Just a week ago, he was relatively unknown, but now his name is coming up all over the place, making him a hot commodity in very short order. If he can keep this up, he probably won’t stay in Single-A for long, and he certainly looks to need a tougher test. I recommend grabbing him now in medium to deep leagues before his stock rises even higher.
Where to pick up: Leagues with 300+ prospects FAAB bid: Medium (5-10%)
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Adamczewski is a name that’s been on my shortlist all season but hadn’t made the cut because there were others I liked more, but he keeps stacking up strong performances, and I can’t keep pushing him aside any longer. Aside from being a complicated name to spell, he’s been a tough hitter to get out with an OBP near .500 and a wRC+ that shows he’s been nearly twice as valuable as the average hitter at the level. The most significant difference between this year and last, which was still a solid year, is that he’s lifting the ball with a lot more consistency, as his ground ball rate has dropped from over 50% last year to 28.1% so far in 2025. Thanks to that fact, his ISO is up significantly to .289, and he has nearly matched his HR total from last year already in just a quarter as many games.
Final Thoughts
There is reason to hesitate with Adamczewski, as his overall contact rate sits at just 70.7% while his swinging-strike (14.7%) and whiff (32.3%) rates sit at 35th and 34th percentile, respectively, at the level (per TJStats). He’s also yet to post a contact rate over 75% at any level in his career, but his improved launch angle early on gives plenty of reason for optimism. If he can continue to lift and pull the ball as he has in the early going (45.5% pull rate), his stock should continue to climb. My concern with his hit tool leaves me a little more hesitant to buy than others, but I still see a reason to grab some shares in medium to deep leagues. I should note that he was removed from the game after being hit by a pitch on Friday. He was hit around the elbow, was seen by the trainer, and initially stayed in the game before he struck out swinging later. He appeared to favor that elbow before being removed. Hopefully, it’s nothing serious, but it might be worth monitoring before picking him up.
Where to pick up: Leagues with 350+ players rostered
Been a baseball fan and player my whole life, played dynasty for 10 years. Co-host on the Dynasty Baseball Pickups podcast since mid-season 2023 and joined Prospects Live at the start of 2024.
As Director of Pro Scouting, I lead a talented group of evaluators as we break down future stars. You can find me at random California League games throughout the season!
Director of Dynasty Content - Canadian born and raised, moved to Arkansas with my wife and two sons Ezra and Ari. Followed and played baseball my whole life; played dynasty for 25+ years.
As Director of Pro Scouting, I lead a talented group of evaluators as we break down future stars. You can find me at random California League games throughout the season!
